


Roses and Shadows

by FluffyPancakes8



Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Chances of character death are low cuz I'm soft, F/M, Few characters of my own included, Fluff, Friendship, Humor, Hurt and comfort, May have background romance - Freeform, May have odd pairings, Me literally just taking everything slowly, Multi, Romance, Smooth pacing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:20:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 11,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29213310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FluffyPancakes8/pseuds/FluffyPancakes8
Summary: Tasked to patrol the borders of the Clover Kingdom and The Spade's with the Black Bulls and helping Asta prove his innocence, Charlotte Roselei has no idea what to do with herself. On the other hand, Yami Sukehiro thinks he has a brand new plaything. Together, they face off dangerous enemies and eventually, something else happens that neither of them were planning on.
Relationships: Charlotte Roselei/Yami Sukehiro
Comments: 61
Kudos: 80





	1. Patrol...together?!?!?

* * *

Dear readers, I'm FluffyPancakes8 which you most likely have known already but I feel better introducing myself so...😶 Anyways, I'm pretty new with this whole writing fanfiction thing - which Im sure is common around here - so do please forgive me if my story doesn't come out as good as I planned. As you may have guessed already, I am an enormous Black Clover fan 😍♧♤♡♢! Which is why my heart is currently mourning the impending and inevitable last episode of the said beloved series. Though, with all my heart, I truly wish Black Clover will continue! Like a certain loud boy from Hage village says, " NOT YET! I'M NOT GIVING UP!"

* * *

Roses. What beautiful works of nature they are. Surrounded by thorns, they are constantly protected, unharmed, untouched by the hands of undesirable onlookers. Roses, are what most accurately describe the honourable Charlotte Roselei, Captain of the Blue Rose Knights.

Charlotte groaned. She had just finished signing and filing important papers when a small spatial portal opened just above her office desk. Unsurprisingly, an envelope fluttered out of it and landed oddly almost on the centre of her desk. She considered it for a while. It was evident what the letter inside it would convey only by looking at the seal. The Wizard King's seal, to be precise.

On any other occasion, she would have picked up the envelope with a great sense of responsibility, gratitude and pride, but today, was unlike others. Today, _weariness_ leaked out from her very bones. She has not been sleeping well as of late, her mind was ceaselessly occupied. The aftermath of the elf war was currently being taken care of, but the recovering process has been far too slow. The Clover Kingdom was at it's most vulnerable. To make matters worse, her title as a magic knight captain was being threatened. She knew it. She heard it, the shushed whispers directed at her - most definitely questioning why she wasn't exiled yet. Her squad members have all been trying to comfort her, ease her with words like, "Captain, you were possessed by an elf, it was't your fault!" or, "Many others were possessed too, sis! Even the Captain of the Azure Deer!"

In spite of this, she still berated herself endlessly. _Yuno, the one chosen by the four leaf clover, he managed to regain consciousness after being possessed. Why couldn't I? Was my will too weak? The elf too strong? Or, am I really just...that...pathet_ _ic?_

Charlotte shook her wandering thoughts away. She needed to focus. She might not have been much of a help during the fight with the elves - heck, she was a problem - but she would try her best now to make amends for her actions. It was the least she could do.

♧

It had been a captains' meeting. Plans for repairs were discussed and suggestions to make better the security in the kingdom flew here and there. For once, all the captains seemed to be serious. All but one. 

Charlotte was going to explode any minute now. Her face was burning and her heartbeats were like the ticking of a bomb. She hadn't seen him since she ran away from him, screaming like the deranged woman she was. She wished she could have acted...normal then. He had only wanted to ask her a question. Just a tiny question that definitely was _not_ related to her feelings for him. But before he could finish his question, she burst out of the room at full speed!! Her feet carried her to all sorts of places, even leading her to run _across_ water! With all the things she had done _-_ she _touched_ him. Yes, _touched -_ and said - for heaven's sake, she _complimented_ him! - when she was asleep in her own body, she couldn't bear to be in the same room as him then. The same thing rings true now as well.

" - Charlotte?"

"Huh?" came her blank answer.

Suddenly all eyes were on Charlotte as she racked her brain for clues on what the hell the conversation could be. She looked at the walls and tables frantically as if they had the answer written on them. _So much for making amends._

Thankfully, Julius seemed to notice her clueless self and said, "Charlotte, your squad is to patrol the borders of the Clover Kingdom and the Spade Kingdom with the Black Bulls."

With those words, Charlotte's whole world was officially doomed.

"I apologize to have asked you for this, Charlotte. I know your squad prides its independence, but I'm afraid all other squads have already been assigned," Julius continued, "Also, while you're at it, I do hope you'll help prove the innocence of Asta." The Wizard King, as small as he might have shrunk, was still the same old, annoying man she respected.

Charlotte stood and saluted the man who had, not very long ago, saved an entire kingdom. "Your wish is my command, sir". 

_That's right, Charlotte! You're doing this for the Wizard King. Not that handsome, buff guy! No, no, no, not for that b-brute!!_

 _"_ Well look who's excited," came a deep, playful voice.

She barely managed to suppress an ' _eeek!_ ' when he spoke again,

"Just to let you know, my squad and I aren't exactly the definition of 'refined'," teased Yami.

Charlotte, all red on the face, spared a glance towards her right and found a smirk plastered on his face along with a lighted cigarette dangling from his mouth. _You little-_ _breathe in, breath out. You can do this, Char, relax._

 _"_ Honestly, you foreigners just can't keep your mouth shut, can't you?" remarked the imposing Captain of the Silver Eagles, Nozel Silva.

" _Tsk,_ right back at ya, Braid face."

Nozel's face promptly darkened, as if a storm cloud had magically appeared above him. Everyone tensed - excluding Jack the Ripper (he was practically leaning forward in his eagerness) - as they waited for an insulting comeback. 

"We royals-"

"Anddd that's all for today! Good day, captains!" Julius said in a strained cheerful voice. I _can't have a single meeting without someone trying to murder someone, huh? h_ e thought sadly, like a child who has heard the word 'no' for the very first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helpful and friendly criticisms are welcome!😁 Yours truly, FluffyPancakes8.


	2. Yami Goes Exploring

Yami kicked the expensive doors of the meeting room wide open as he walked out. _That Silva royal has serious issues. He was lucky Julius ended the meeting, or he would have had a severe black eye. Hmm... a black eye's a great contrast to that silver braid of his..._

The Captain of the Black Bulls - also known as the God of Destruction - carried on with his vivid daydreams all the while looking for a specific squad member of his. He had ordered Finral, his human transport, to wait for him in front of the castle after the meeting. He also specified for him to be _on_ _time_. Obviously, he did none of those things. So, there he was, walking the streets of the Royal Capital looking homeless. _I'm_ _so gonna kill you Finral._

The capital was bustling with nobles, they went shop after shop buying extravagant things they'll most certainly dispose of after a while. Some items caught his eye, though, like the broom that supposedly turn you and itself invisible when you rode it. Or another that was believed to be a truth potion. Yami bought the truth potion - sadly, it made his pocket feel a ton lighter - figuring it would come in handy.

It was around noon when he decided his spatial mage had miraculously found a woman kind enough to bear his nonsense and his infamous obsession with pretty girls. _Would ya believe that, after getting rejected a million ti-_

**BANG!**

Yami was now on high alert. The deafening crash came from a few streets ahead - The Blue Rose Knights headquarters. How he got there so quick, he had no idea. Part of him wanted to carry on with his useless exploring, but someone might be in trouble, and it was apparently his duty to play hero as a magic knight captain. "Tch, wonder if Prickly Queen's home," he murmured quietly to himself as he unsheathed his katana and used Dark magic: Lightless Slash to break down the headquarter's gate.

The instant he entered the domain of the savagely independent women, everything felt funny. Like he had just entered a whole new world. He scanned the area with keen eyes, later on using Ki and found that all the Blue Rose knights were gathered in the centre of the magnificent building in front of him. One Ki was different than the others, which he was guessing was the Captain's. Another was very familiar; it was Finral's. _What kind of trouble did he get himself in, damn it!?_

But there was a single Ki, one that felt menancing, dark, unexplainable, and for the life of him he couldn't figure out who it may be.

Several Purple Orcas and Coral Peacocks mages appeared behind him, clearly for the same purpose he had. 

"Scram. Secure the perimeter or whatever. I can handle this myself," he said with a quick murderous gaze at them. _They would only_ _get_ _in my way._

Most flinched and did what was commanded of them, some patently wanted to disagree but thought better of it. When they all had dispersed, Yami strode quickly but cautiously to the assembled Ki ahead. He arrived in a vast hall and saw that it had become a jungle of briars and sapphire roses. Cracks ran deep through the marble of the ceiling and walls with large debris scattered on the floor. Charlotte was at the very centre of it all and appeared to be defending herself against a powerful foe. It was quite clear that his fellow captain wasn't winning the fight - burns on various parts of her body proved that fact.

Who was this man? Who was he that brought the high Prickly Queen to such a disgraceful position? He couldn't get a clear view of the man's face as his back was facing him, but, whoever he was, he would pay dearly.

None of them noticed him as they were too occupied. Yami made use of this precious time and assessed the situation at hand. Spiny Prickly Queen had created a protective dome over her squad and his damn transport. As upstanding as her deed was, she had limited her moves in the fight. Not to mention the man used some sort of blue flame magic. Fire, an attribute Briar magic was the weakest to - _talk about an unlucky day for her_. Apart from that, there was another thing he noticed. Charlotte didn't seem to be herself. Her movements were sloppy, like she was fighting half awake...

 _What the hell is going on in_ _here_?


	3. What Happened (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is slightly longer than the previous ones. Hope you'll enjoy reading it!😉

After the meeting, Charlotte hastily flew on her broom towards her headquarter. Her mind was a mess. A real mess. Her squad was to work with the Black Bulls. Two captains...her and Yami...working together. _Together._

Charlotte's broom gave a sudden jerk as she squealed in embarrassment. _WHAT ARE YOU THINKING, CHARLOTTE!!!_ _Snap out of it!_ The blonde woman turned a deep shade of red similar to a pomegranate. She distracted herself from her insufferable thoughts by pretending to take great interest in the shining rooftops below her.

The sun was steadily rising above the horizon, it's bright rays of light seemed to greet her. She slowed her flight to enjoy the peaceful moment. The breeze cooled her face and played joyfully with her loose hair, making it go to all sorts of directions. After a few moments of silence, she figured it was nice to lose the cold-and-heartless facade at times. To relax and let go of all the responsibilities weighing her down, it made her feel more _humanly_.

Charlotte let out a blissful sigh, slightly rolling her shoulders in a calming motion. She watched doves soar above her with a tiny smile gracing her angelic face as she imagined Yami by her side now. Honestly, her imagination gets the better of her.

♧ 

When she finally reached her destination, she regretted _everything_.

She found her beloved squad members all bundled together by a blue fiery rope in the centre of the great hall. They were all bloodied and bruised and burns covered them from head to toe. Sol was slightly less unconscious than the rest and sensed her presence. She looked at her with those big, blue, hopeful eyes that reminded her of their first encounter - all those years ago when she saved her from those bandits. Her heart hitched painfully at the sight. _She could have prevented this. If only...if only she wasn't thinking of..._

Charlotte balled her hands into fists. Rage was written all over her face and her magic was going berserk. Her beautiful crystal clear eyes were gleaming with unshed tears. _Who would dare-_

A loud thump was heard and she turned around in a flash with a whip of briars immediately at hand. A tall, pale man with a stood a few metres away from her. He had sharp features and was grinning crazily - like someone had bonked him on the head a little too hard. By the looks of it, _he_ was the one responsible for all of this. A Black Bull member whose state was no better than her members' was sprawled on the floor besides the feet of the culprit. Charlotte didn't even bother to question how the hell Yami's member was related to the whole situation. 

"Who are you and what do you think you're doing? Attacking a magic knight base like that, if you wanted to die, you could have just asked me," she said, her tone cold and unforgiving. Her voice quivered as her body shook ever so slightly, madness overflowing her that she half-heartedly tried to keep in check.

The man gave a mocking laugh and answered, "Name's a secret, hon. And if your squad was that hopeless, what makes you think _you_ can kill me?" He continued, "You know what they say, 'you can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep', and I'm telling you, your company was _useless_!"

Charlotte clenched her teeth at that. "I guess we'll have to find out, don't we? When I win this fight, then that means all your blabbering are nothing but nonsense and you are to tell me the purpose behind this attack."

" _If_ you win this fight, beautiful."

The furious captain took that as a green light and made her first move; preventing any more harm to be inflicted on her loved ones. She summoned huge waves of thorny briars to surrounded her squad completely. As an afterthought, she extended a couple of briars to the Black Bull and dragged him by the foot towards the dome of briars she had created behind her.

Those burns on her members' suggested that her opponent was a flame magic user. Not that she was worried, of course. She was as powerful as a hundred mages combined - her being a grand magic knight and all - and by the feel of the man's mana, he was not so powerful. _Men, they always are nothing but talks._ Charlotte used Briar magic: Corpse Hunting Briar Trees. If he could not avoid the simple attack then he was not worthy of being her adversary.

Surprisingly, he did more than avoid. He burnt her briars and roses to ashes with a single spell - Blue Flame magic: Ruthless Fire. He then used another spell and before she knew it, towering flames encircled her. Charlotte thought this was a rather moronic move. _Did he think he can just trap me?_ She conjured a flood of briars to part the fires for her as she charged towards him. She should have known he had something up in his sleeve when he made no indication to fend off himelf. But frankly, her mind was not at it's clearest.

Halfway towards him, the man sprinted towards her, his movements boosted by reinforcement magic. Several inches away from her, he raised his fist and made as if to punch her. The action truly stunned her as no one, _no one,_ fought with fists in a mana-on-mana fight. Swiftly, she raised her armoured arm to take the blow. A blow that never came. 

The man smirked as he went under her guard and brought up his other clenched hand. He unfurled it right in front of her face and a purplish powder was released. Charlotte breathed it in. She felt as if she had been to hell and back. Then, unbelievable, cold numbness took over her body. Her vision blurred. The whole world was spinning, it was shaking. Like a scale tipped unbalanced, she fell to her side and hit marble. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't move. 

Involuntary tears streaked her cheeks. _I couldn't save them. Though not related by blood, they are family. Sol, Puli, Galgaria, Selena - everyone. I had failed to protect them. To be the captain they deserved. All because of my own feelings. How selfish of me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, helpful criticisms are welcome!😃


	4. What Happened (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, feel free to correct any mistakes I might have done😀 Hope you enjoy reading this chapter!

She remembered their exhausting trainings together. She recalled them all shouting out their unforeseen support when she confessed her love for Yami. She looked back on the times when the circumstances were not so perilous, when they would go for picnics under shades of big trees - 'A Girl's Day Out', Sol would call it.

But now, those cherished moments were nothing but _just_ memories. It's as if her mind had already given up, as if she had already let go of the slim chance. The chance to save them. _There is no such thing_ , said a weak, broken voice in her head.

Charlotte's blurry vision could barely make out two huge blobs gradually getting bigger. _Feet...b_ _oots?_ Then, without warning, the man landed a magically boosted kick on her stomach. The impact made her skid helplessly across the floor, back resting on the ground. Though she didn't feel the pain - thanks to the numbness that powder caused - droplets of blood trickled down to the side of her mouth.

An unsightly face came to view. The man she swore to kill was flaunting a supercilious smile. _Annoying bastard._ Charlotte tried to sit up, no matter how much of a pipe dream saving her family was, she has to try. Must try. _For many more precious memories to make and my pride. I. Will. Not. Lose._

Grunting and heaving with effort, she begged her body to move. She stretched her fingers and used her elbows to support her. She was going to beat the bastard to nothing but a _pulp_. 

Watching her so determined to make a stand, the man backed away. Not because of mercy, but because of his twisted yearning to see one struggling to fight an already won battle. _I really do have to thank my mistress, without all those bloody upgrades...well, I'd be dead by now,_ he thought as he reached into his hidden cloak pocket. Magical items. He had been wearing them all along. But even then, the captain still outclassed him. _Glad I picked to use her instead - the supposedly weaker one compared to him._

After a few moments, he fished out a vial. No common magical items would help him against someone her level, he decided. But, maybe, her mistress's specialty brew will be enough. _More than enough._ He looked at the dark contents of the vial, slightly hesitating. His mistress was a mad one, even he knew that, her own disciple... _d_ _amn it all_. He drank the syrupy liquid in one gulp. Charlotte was on her knees by now. 

"One," he counted. He felt scorching heat spread throughout his body.

Charlotte was gritting her teeth, cursing as she forced her legs to straighten out. The powder took at least half of her control over her body, an effect she _incredibly_ just noticed. _My mind must be affected as well._

 _"_ Two." He was feeling quite feverish. His limbs felt like jelly and everything looked brighter. Clearer even, as if that were possible.

_At last,_ she thought. She was fully standing now. Despite still feeling unsteady, she believes she's capable enough to win.

"Three." His body shook uncontrollably as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. He let out stranggled, incomprehensible words. He was a horrifying sight.

Slightly put off, Charlotte took advatage of his defenceless self. She successfully managed to release an attack spell which should have instantly send her opponent flying through the air. Instead, it was countered almost immediately with an equally powerful spell.

Her eyes widen with shock. _How?_ His magic was swelling, it _should_ have been too much for one man to handle. But he was calmly harnessing it. Preposterous. _The staggering increase isn't possible...what was in that vial?_

Her thoughts ended abruptly as the man yet again summoned a packed-full-of-mana spell. This time, she was more prepared and darted out of the attack's line of fire just in time. She swiftly created hundreds of snake-like briars and roses. They crept skillfully towards her target. A long range assault - she made a mistake of fighting him close up, she wasn't too keen on repeating it again.

♤

They clashed endlessly. The hall was their battlefield, it even looked like one. Charlotte's magic was dwindling and her body can't keep up much longer. Cuts from her own thorns and stinging burns ruined her once fair, smooth skin. It was a miracle she could even stand.

In stark contrast to her, the man, who introduced himself during all the confusion of their battle as Kaido, was getting stronger and stronger. His movements were a speedy blur and unpredictable. He was hellbent on winning. And he couldn't until he eliminated Charlotte. Permanently.

He concentrated his magic on a single spell. His greatest one yet. A killing blow.

"Blue magic: Slaughtering Ground of Flames"

As she stood there, petrified and magic nearly depleted, she saw _him_. Yami Sukehiro, the only man who can make her heart beat as fast as it was now. _He always did appear in unlikely times._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Chinese New Year to all chinese out there!!🎉🎉🎉


	5. Hero of the Day...err Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaujsndndjksksnsnsn YAMI'S HEREEE!!💙🐃💙🐃💙🐃💙  
> P.S. the hearts represent Charlotte and the bulls (I think that's a bull) are Yami

* * *

The diameter of the Kaido's spell was unbelievable - it was well equipped for mass murder. Yami's mind went blank as fires grew from the ground. Everyone was going to die unless he did something about it. But what could he do? He couldn't stop the spell in time to save Charlotte and the rest. 

_There's no time to think._

He dashed stupidly towards Charlotte, his massive figure serving as a barrier from the fires. He used the Mana Skin technique with hopes of withstanding the flickering blue flames. 

"What do you think you're doing? I can handle this myself," said Charlotte, voice lacking her usual coldness. She too activated her Mana Skin, though it was rather flimsy.

"Yeah, no. Just stand back and watch, will ya," he replied with a quick glance at her that said, _don't be stubborn, woman!_

"Yami sukehiro."

Yami's narrowed eyes focused on Kaido, he who hurt _his_ subordinate, _his_ fellow captain and other brave magic knights. For someone who commited a serious offense to the Clover Kingdom and to him as well, the man maintained his sangfroid well. This irritated him greatly.

"So, captain, what brings you here?" the man asked. He looked as if _Yami_ was the one trespassing private property. 

Deciding to beat around the bush for a while, he said, "Nothing much. Wasn't really doing anything anyway, figured I'd pop in and see what the commotion was all 'bout." There was not a single ounce of humor present in his voice as he spoke, yet the man doubled over in laughter. _This guy has issues._

"Commotion, you say? Me and my darling were merely enjoying ourselves. Weren't we?" He stared expectantly at Chorlotte, wriggling his brows in a flirty manner.

He could sense Charlotte's discomfort at that and something awoke deep inside him. Something he never felt before and yet it was so distantly familiar. Something, _intense_. He had no idea what he was doing. His body moved automatically with a sole purpose: to hurt him. Yami unleashed his dreaded signature spell - Dark magic: Dimension Slash. He wasn't going to let someone like _him_ take another breath in this world, no. With a devilish look on his face, and his ever present cigarette, he was the perfect image of 'fighting-with-style'.

Unfortunately, Yami's moment of glory was interrupted - _tch_. Due to the vast amount of mana being released, the already unstable hall couldn't hold out anymore. The walls caved in a second later after his spell and thinking fast, he engulfed himself and Charlotte - who he found suddenly unconscious behind him - in dark magic. _If my slash doesn't kill him, the rubble will,_ he thought, satisfied. As he waited impatiently inside his dark magic cocoon, he decided to light his cigarette - he might as well smoke instead of wasting precious time. When he flicked his lighter to do so, the orange glow illuminated Charlotte's face. A memory spontaneously resurfaced from the depths of his mind, he remembered the time he saved her from her meal-destroying curse. If she had been a mess then, she was even more of one now - _talk about some serious evolution._ Due to the gash on the side of her forehead, half of her face was covered in blood. A rare fear slowly took over Yami, he didn't want to ever see Charlotte like this.

"I told you to rely on others, Prickly Queen. Now look at what you've gotten yourself into," he said, voice gruff.

His arms snaked underneath her, carrying her with startling delicacy as soon as the last bits of the hall had fallen. Yami thought that she was far too light, but after he considered the amount of muscles he had, he quickly discarded the thought. When his magic had fully vanished, he took in quite a stupefying sight. It turns out that the hall was an important part of the whole building, and without it...well, Charlotte was in for a grand surprise when she wakes up. _If she wakes up_ , a voice in his mind added and in a flash, he concentrated on her. He strained his eyes in the dark - they were completely exposed to the outside world, the structures around them had all collapsed - scanning her for any life-threatening injuries, which, so far, she had none. A small sigh of relief escaped his lips. Nevertheless, he had to take her to Owen/Old man.

"S-sis?" a trembling voice said. 

Yami swivelled around and saw the entire Blue Rose knights and Finral staring at him. Frankly, he forgot they were even there, but he wasn't about to let them know that. After a second later of inspecting, he found the person who spoke to be Sol. She was evidently trying to hold back tears, in fact, all of them were, even Finral - though he had no idea why his squad member would shed tears for someone who basically loathed his very existance. _They seriously need to take a grip of themselves, she's not dead!_

"Hey, listen, all of you," he found himself saying, "Your captain wouldn't want you bawling over her. So make sure to smile your brightest. Or I'll kill you." He sucked at pep talks, he knew. But there was no harm in trying...or so he thought.

They all started wailing, and cursing and blurting out deathly threats at him. In fact, Sol, a devoted worshiper of Charlotte, literally charged towards him and was about to kick him when his trustworthy, very loyal subordinate managed to hold her back. As expected, Finral suffered Sol's wrath. It was quite funny, really. Seeing him being chased and scared out of his wits, that's what he called _karma_.

When all the lively things had died down - Finral was currently sporting a black eye and a huge bump on his head - everyone looked up to him, asking about the well being of their captain. And, for once in his life, he actually gave a comforting pep talk -

"You brats stop worrying, Spiny Prickly Queen has about another thousand battles to win before she dies." A genuine smile lit up his face. With the twinkling night sky reflecting on his eyes, he looked almost loving - _no doubt captain would have had a heart attack if she saw him now,_ thought the entire Blue Rose squad.

Yami looked down to Charlotte, feeling pride growing inside him. _That's right, so wake up already._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your wonderful comments!!😢❤💙❤😢😢💙😢❤ They're my daily dose of sunshine😌


	6. Questions, Questions and More Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chap is honestly just a big cliffhanger😂 Sorry!! I figured it would be too long so i divided it into 2 chapters. Also, ik its a bit confusing with Kaido and his mistress and some stuff he said, but trust me, all your questions will be answered soon. Hope you still enjoy this chap tho!😊

Pushing away heavy rubbles crushing his ribs, Kaido heaved in effort. Who could have thought that he would have had to face Yami despite how hard he tried to avoid to.

_Nevermind that, just feel lucky you're still alive!_

He examined his surroundings, the remains of the Blue Rose headquarters were scattered all around him and - _sh*t, magic knights! Dozens of 'em!_ No doubt they were searching for him, and _of course,_ his mana had all been used up. _Not good, not good, NOT GOOD!!_

Panicking, he crawled as unobtrusively as he could away from the mages nearest to him. He stuck low to the ground so much that he was practically kissing it. Thanking the darkness for its cover, he slowly made his way towards the streets of the capital - it would surely be swarmed with even more magic knights, but the option did provide him with more hiding places. And more hiding places always meant a higher chance of living.

Freedom was mere inches away when shouts rang behind him. Before he was even aware of it, bright lights shone on him. They circled around him - there was no way out. They came closer, and closer, tightening their little perimeter. In his desperation, he conjured a ball of fire and threw it wildly at them. And _just his luck_ , a water magic user was among the mages surrounding him and easily turned his puny spell to steam.

"You're coming with us, Kaido. Guilty with the highest crimes in the Clover Kingdom," said one of them in an authoritative tone.

"Crimes punishable by death," another added _._

'Death'. The word echoed in his mind as he was taken away. _Death...I don't think so._ Grinning madly, plans were forming themselves in his mind. It was similar to solving a jigsaw puzzle. Tiny bits here and there together made up a bigger picture, or in his case, made up his escape.

♧

"They found him alive. Kaido. He's being held in prison for the time being," informed Julius, a solemn look on his face. "His trial will commence as soon as they finish questioning him."

It was in the middle of the night when an urgent meeting was announced and held between the eight captains. Yami had filled them all in with the latest disturbing news. Magic knights were ordered to be extra alert and security checks were being carried out even as they speak. 

"Keh keh, wonder how powerful this Kaido is. If he could do that to Charlotte, maybe he's worth slicing up," said Jack, his lengthy tongue habitually sticking out.

At the mention of the currently absent captain, deathly silence filled the whole room. Yami subconsciously glanced at the empty seat beside him. He felt peculiarly lonely without the Prickly Queen. He longed to tease her again, and to see her composure fail miserably. He wanted to see her turn red with anger once more - he had always thought she resembled a tomato. 

Stillness continued for a while longer and was only interrupted when Rill had banged his head on the meeting table after falling asleep. Weary sighs and snores - courtesy of the youngest captain - were chorused around the table. Constant management of their squad members, aiding with the repairs of damaged properties, as well as having to patrol various areas of the kingdom, it was no wonder they were exhausted. And now, they had to deal with a major attack they absolutely have no lead on - it was as if the whole thing was done in a whim with no aim or goal in mind.

Marx Francois, the Wizard King's adviser, had left an hour ago. He was tasked with interrogating Kaido as his Memory magic was best suited for the job. They just had to wait. Patiently. Calmly. 

Yami's brows furrowed. He loathed waiting. His mind replayed the earlier events as if sensing his ever growing boredom and decided recalling unpleasant memories would help. Maybe it did.

( **F L A S H B A C K** ) 

He had requested for healing mages through the magic knights communication device. He clearly remembered the gathering crowds' worried whispers, and their insults towards Charlotte. Though it was made known that Asta was the mastermind behind the elves' attack - this was false, by the way - there were still some that believed magic knights had turned on them.

Yami didn't blame them. Their minds simply could not grasp the truth even if it would have been nailed on to their very heads. _But,_ considering what Charlotte went through, he would have expected at least a tiny bit of sympathy. He wanted to tell them to get lost, that they didn't have any business being there - but that wouldn't make anything better. Julius made it plain that their number one goal as magic knights was to win the trust of the people back again. No matter how annoying and mentally excruciating it was.

The Blue Rose knights and his transport, and some other magic knights who must have gotten in Kaido's way were fully healed on the spot. However, when it came to Charlotte, even as the burns and cuts faded, she didn't wake up. Anxious, they brought her to the Old Man/Owen where they were told that she had been poisoned. With what? Even the greatest recovery mage in the Clover Kingdom couldn't answer.

That was when an emergency captains' meeting was announced. Finral was present as well since his involvement in the situation was a mystery - Nozel termed it 'suspicious'.

"I was o-only walking p-p-pass the Blue Rose headquarters when i saw this man all dressed in black staring at the front gates. As a magic knight, I-I had to ask him what he was doing there. Y-You know, just checking if he was up to no good - I D-DEFINITELY WAS NOT JEALOUS HE COULD STARE AT THE BEAUTI- I mean-" Yami grabbed his head and threatened him,"- s-s-s-so anyway, he suddenly attacked me and...i think you all know what happens next." Finral let out a long sigh as if explaining took a whole lot of energy out of him.

The Wizard King and the captains all tried to piece the extra information with the earlier events, imagining the whole scenario in their heads. Fuegoleon Vermillion, Captain of the Crimson Lions spoke first -

"Correct me if I'm mistaken, but Kaido managed to take down a whole squad by himself..."

"What are you getting at, Fuegoleon?" asked Nozel, slightly impatient. _We all know that bit!_

"Doesn't it seem odd? He must have had help. A man beating a squad as strong as the Blue Rose Knights? Ridiculous! And so are the claims of the people saying they hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary."

"The mages sent to investigate the area left no stone unturned. They found not a single trace of magic other than Kaido's," said Julius. "Though, we can all agree that finding no witnesses of the attack, excluding the victims, is highly strange."

"I believe the situation is bigger than we thought," concluded Kaiser. "If we are to start at the tip of the iceberg, the question 'Why Charlotte?' must be answered. What if she isn't the only target? What if our enemy is planning to take all of us down individually?"

Questions. What-ifs. Yami was a milimeter away from stranggling someone - preferrably Braid face - when the doors of the meeting room burst open.

It was Mushroom Head!! Also known as Marx and now, Answer Guy! He was officially Yami's favourite mushroom in the whole world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY VALENTINES!!!💖💖💖hmm...wonder who your valentines are??😜


	7. Yami Gets Some Answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooo!! (◍•ᴗ•◍)I'm SO sorry for not updating earlier 😭😭💔💔this chapter was a bit challenging cuz I needed to fill some plot holes, plus I've been fairly busy with studies😅. This chap isn't perfect but I do hope you guys will enjoy it! ❤️

Marx ran as if his life depended on it. He dashed through the hallways, skillfully evading magic knights on duty. His electric blue hair bounced up and down with each step he took. He had to deliver the news to the Wizard King, _quick_. 

_Almost there_ , he encouraged himself. He slammed the meeting doors wide open, a triumphant look in his eyes.

"Everyone, I -"

A gleaming silver spear whizzed towards him followed by a huge fiery ball. His skull was nearly pierced through and he was a second away from being burnt alive when time spheres appeared and halted the attack. _BARGING IN WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA!!!_

The captains - except Yami who was unnaturally beaming at him, Rill who seemed to be asleep and William who was as calm as ever - lowered their defensive stances and muttered - almost grudgingly - their apologies. Knees trembling in fear, he gave a nod of thank-you-for-not-letting-me-die to Julius.

Marx cleared his throat, sweat raining down his face in huge droplets. Then, in an instant, an aura of seriousness generated from him as he said:

 _"_ I searched every inch of Kaido's memories. He's from the Spade Kingdom. He was directly sent on a mission by the Zogratis siblings, or better known as the Dark Triad," he paused, letting this vital piece of information sink in. 

"Kaido didn't carry out the attack by himself. He was aided by an Illusion magic user, Vol, who did so to repay a debt. It turns out that Vol's Illusion magic was strong enough that he enveloped the whole of the Blue Rose Knights headquarters - this meaning, anything that happens within the said area, will be completely as he see fit."

Yami's eyes widened as epiphany struck him. That funny feeling...when he entered the headquarters'...that was the illusion magic. How could he not sense Vol's ki? More importantly, what exactly did Vol make him see? What illusions did he conjure? Is this the reason why there were no eye-witnesses of the attack? Where is he now?

His mind was flooded with uncertainties. _This is hella confusing!_

"However," Marx continued, interrupting Yami's malfunctioning brain, "Vol is not very creative with his spells. There were flaws, that was why Yami could see the fight between Captain Charlotte and Kaido - which, according to their plan - was unintended. Vol is also quite the coward. Kaido thinks he ran off, abandoning the task at hand when Yami came. His present location is unknown."

One could almost see the gears and wheels turning in everyone's head:

Fuegoleon and Kaiser both hummed thoughtfully, William wore a faraway expression, and Nozel had his eyes narrowed and mouth pursed in intense concentration. Dorothy Unsworth, a captain both famous and infamous for her 24/7 sleeping habits, was astonishingly awake and was energetically rapping her fingers in a rhythm. Jack was not doing anything in particular, as if his mind had already given up on thinking - Yami thought it did a long time ago.

Speaking about the God of Destruction, the man's facial expression was a mixture of blankness and shock. _It was crazy_. So crazy that even he, the human reincarnation of _crazy_ , found it overwhelming. _Illusion magic? One that can hide a person's Ki?_ Never in his life had he encountered such a thing.

_Hold on...if there were really illusion spells all over the place...does that mean what I saw wasn't real?_

Marx cleared his throat once more, indicating that he wasn't finished. "Kaido and Vol's aim was to capture Yami. For whatever reasons, the Dark Triad did not specify. They were intensively briefed about their opponent. Thus, Vol had his Ki, which he knew Yami would sense, hidden under layers and layers of illusio-"

" - Wait a sec," Yami interrupted, his brain having suddenly caught up," Are you saying that- I-Im the reason..."

He didn't bother to finish his sentence. His mouth had gone dry and his throat hurt. The room felt too small, the air too hot - _everything_ was _too_ much. Guilt grasped his senses tightly, it was coursing through his veins like _poison_ , corroding him from the inside. _Poison...poison...Charlotte was poisoned because of me...she was hurt becau-_

 _"_ Yami," came Julius' disapproving tone. His voice slicing through his thoughts like a newly sharpened blade. "You are not to blame for others' twisted actions."

"That's right," said Marx comfortingly, "They went after Charlotte instead because they assumed they had a much better chance at winning if they fought...a woman." Disgust and detestation laced his last words. "They wanted to lure you to a tra-"

_"_ I need to go," Yami declared, his words leaving no room for discussion. He strode out of the room, all seven pairs of eyes staring after him - after all that had been said and done, Rill was _still_ goddamn snoozing!


	8. Wandering Around

Guilt. Yami felt guilt. His shoulders were slightly caving in, as if he was suddenly going to collapse any minute and hug his knees. Like he always did when he was a child.

His mother, beautiful but ferocious, had always called him a crybaby. Too sensitive, always making a big deal even of the tiniest things. On the other hand, his father was the kindest man he had ever met. He would rub big, soothing circles on his back as he cried endlessly, whispering wonderful things that never failed to make him feel better.

This were one of the times when he longed achingly for his parents. _They always knew what to do._

Yami was splayed atop of the Wizard King's castle - yes, on the roof. He had walked out of the meeting with no clear plans. He just felt like he had to get out. Get away from everyone and be alone. Alone to sort his thoughts out and untangle his knotted emotions. To experience guilt - and regret? To punish himself.

He was fully aware how much Charlotte cared for her squad. She pushed them constantly to their limits, yet somehow holding them back for fear of them being harmed. A similarity they both share.

And today, the most precious thing to her was hurt in front of her very own eyes. She had suffered. Suffered unnecessarily because of him. Whatever damned thing the Dark Triad wanted from him, he swore he would never let them have it. 

Wrath boiled inside him, threatening to burst. Indirectly or not, he had hurt her.

Ever since she had her body taken over, he found himself incessantly thinking about her, even more so when she had _asked_ him to a dinner. Of course, Yami didn't think of this as anything more than...a relationship between captains - maybe even friendship . After all, a renowned beauty like her won't even spare a second glance at him. No, not that courageous, admittedly powerful and well-deserving of the highest respect woman.

He gazed distractedly at the view in front of him. The clouds had parted and the pale, full moon peaked out. The sky was gradually lightening and stars were nowhere in sight, in a few more minutes it would be dawn. He had been up all night, he noticed. 

Yami stood up and stretched, his bones giving a little ' _pop!_ '. Concluding that brooding over the matter won't change a thing, he decided to head home. The last thing he needed was his squad worrying over his prolonged absence, though it wouldn't be a surprise if they already knew about the situation - Finral was the absolute worst at keeping his mouth shut.

But, contrary to his plans, he found himself wandering around the carpeted halls instead. _I've been doing a lot of wandering recently, huh._ It was almost as if he was searching for something subconsciously.

Or someone.

During his wanderings, he passed by a room. The door was ajar, but he need not peek in to know who was inside. He could feel _her_ Ki, and it was alarmingly faint. Before he could stop himself, he entered the darkly lit room.

One step. Two steps. And until he was right beside her, looming in the shadows.

The Prickly Queen was peacefully resting on top of fluffy white pillows and a pristine snowy duvet. Her golden hair was looking as immaculate as ever and her hands were placed softly on her stomach. Along with her plump, pink lips, she looked every bit like a fairy tale princess.

And he, looked every bit like a fairy tale villain.

"You're not weak, Charlotte. Wake up now and I'll buy you dinner myself," he said - sounding on the verge of pleading. 

He waited for something - _anything -_ that seemed like a response; be it a twitch of the fingers or furrow of a brow.

There were none.

Yami watched as her chest rose and fell, taking comfort in the action because it reminded him that she was still fighting. That she hasn't given up yet.

As the silence stretched on, he suddenly began to question what the Prickly Queen was doing here. Come to think of it, she shouldn't be here at all! Wasn't she supposed to be back at her -

_Oh, right._ Yami mentally face-palmed. For a moment he had forgotten the fact that her headquarters was in shambles... _hold on a sec, if the captain's here, where are her annoying little minions?!_

Momentarily panicked, his eyes raked across the room, half expecting Sol to instantaneously jump out from behind a potted plant and yell," You filthy man!!! What do you think you're doing to sis!?!!" A report to the Wizard King about his protégé being a stalker would just be the cherry on top of his scrumptious problems.

_Thank goodness they're not here..._ Yami's face scrunched up. There was only one place they could be, and he sure hoped they weren't there. Or else the Tsun-tsun Princess owed _him_ a full week's meals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helpful and friendly criticism are welcome!! 😆😆😆
> 
> P. S I've got my English exam coming up, and frankly I'm horrible at english😅... So ummm👉🏻👈🏻you guys mind pointing out my mistakes? Or perhaps suggest some words I can use for my upcoming essays?  
> Any help is immensely appreciated!!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️  
> (Sorry for asking this, I'm getting desperate, i need that A😂)


	9. A Big Surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooo!!( ˘ ³˘)♥ Hope everyone's doing well!

Julius watched from a distance, the gears and wheels of his mind turning furiously. Yami seemed to be brooding - or was it sulking? Whatever it was, the look didn't suit him. (It made him appear at least ten years older, if he were to be honest.)

The Wizard King was in mid-air, above a random house several miles away from Yami. Normally, he would never have thought of such a foolish thing as floating out in the open - what would people say if they saw their beloved idol just casually levitating and spying? Not to add the fact that he had shrunk to a 13 year old boy - citizens would have a cardiac arrest at the first glimpse of him. But he was worried, like a father would be for his son.

He had ended the captain's meeting as soon as Yami had walked out. It was a good thing he did actually - ended the meeting of course, not Yami leaving - there were details he did not want to make known just yet, even to the captains. Details regarding the Spade Kingdom, and the perils lurking there, untouched and spreading.

He had kept it from all of them, the intel he received from the spy he sent to the said kingdom. He'd kept it a secret even from Marx. He wanted to spare them the worry, besides, he himself had only been informed not long ago. Julius thought it would be fine, as long as it didn't reach the borders of the Clover Kingdom it didn't pose any immediate threat, right?

Wrong. Very wrong.

It was because of his miscalculation and his personal feelings that _this_ happened. Charlotte was poisoned and was currently bedridden, the Blue Rose Knights headquarters was in pieces - repairing that would be costly - and all this apparently had greatly affected Yami. Sure, they were fellow captains, even edging the line between comrades and friends maybe, but why would he be so...troubled by it?

Don't get him wrong, he was perturbed by it too, but Yami... He doubt if any of the other captains were gravely injured he would be this unsettled. Vengeful and concerned, yes, but miserable and wrathful? He didn't think so.

Perhaps he was overstretching things. Perhaps his surmise that Yami, the ever dense and insensitive, would fall for Charlotte, a woman whose every word was a stab to all men.

_Yes, perhaps I am making a big deal out of the matter._

Julius cleared his thoughts and proceeded to nearing his castle - Yami had gone in by now. 

♧

Yami was _so_ gonna kill Julius. He had reached his base with apprehension clinging to him like a long lost friend. Even from afar he could hear it: screams of unimaginable torture. Before he could burst open the entrance door, _it_ bursted first _._

Under the shower of splinters and chunks of wood, Magna shot out with his hair on fire and Sol close behind. The ran in dizzying circles arround him before he eventually lost it and gripped their heads (his right hand stung a little as his skin touched the flames on his damn subordinate's hair) like it was the last thing he'll ever do - maybe it was considering the heart attack the sight of his living room caused him.

_Members of the Blue Rose Knights...in my living room...wrecked...chaotic...savages..._

Mana enveloped his fist and in one blow, he had _completely_ annihilated his stone wall.

"EVERYBODY SHUT UP!!!" he yelled, gathering attention and halting all attacks. Necks slowly turned and curious eyes stared at him, giving him the creeps.

"What the hell are you all doing in my base!?"

"CAPTAIN YAMI, SIR! THIS IS WHERE I LIVE, WHY ARE YOU-" a familiar bratty and astoundingly loud voice boomed. Asta.

"Shut it!! He wasn't referring to you Stupidsta!" came Noelle Silva's reprimanding and slightly squeaky voice. A smack was heard and Yami doubted it was the royal getting hit.

"So!?!" he prompted, ignoring his two moronic subordinates. Somehow, a cigarette appeared on his fingers and he began lighting it, suspecting it was going to be a long story. Unexpectedly, it wasn't.

"The Wizard King said we'll be welcome to stay as long as we like in here," said a voice behind him. Sol stood up - she had fainted from the pain Yami caused her - and rubbed her throbbing head. She glared at him before continuing,"So that means whether you like it or not, were gonna stay."

Knights of the Blue Rose stood firm with a steely look in their eyes. It was as if they were almost daring him to get mad and shoo them off his property - which would automatically result in a long, severe lecture from Julius.

He sighed, defeated. _God knows how she can bear these annoying brats._

 _"_ _Pft,_ whatever. Just don't destroy anything valuable." 

He owed this much at least. For what he caused them, and what happened to Spiny Prickly Queen. _I guess I need to thank Julius for giving me this opportunity. Tch, after I kill him._

He strode off to his room without another word, leaving the others thinking, ' _What could possibly be 'valuable' in **here**?'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ Hope you enjoyed it it😄Love, Pancakes


	10. Charlotte Wakes Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLOOOOO!!! 😆😆 Im truly sorry I have not been updating recently, my exams were ongoing. Good news is, I'm having my last exam at about a day from now 〜(꒪꒳꒪)〜After, I want to write more chapters as often as possible! 💪🏻 Well, I do hope you'll like this chap😊 I've rewritten it a thousand times simply due to the fact that I just cant bring myself to remember to save it😢.

A voice.

A single voice was what saved her from the brink of death. From giving in to the comfort of nothingness. From the empty promise of eternal peace.

It told her, "You're not weak, Charlotte. Wake up now and I'll buy you dinner myself."

_Dinner?_

Charlotte felt her mind, all muddled and heavy, go clear. She was fighting it somehow, the sickly binds that tethered her to haunting thoughts that prickled her skin. She could feel her senses rushing back to her - gushing of the wind, the softness of silk, the loving scent of roses and lavenders, and - _ouch!_

Eyelids fluttered and Charlotte was greeted by the sight of her azure roses and gleaming thorns. They grew by her sides and were slowly creeping their way towards...her. _What?_

She raised her palm in an instant and briars halted their thriving. She must have summoned them while she was asleep, somehow.

Habitually, her hand roamed in the darkness for her bedside lamp - only to find nothing. Squinting in the dark, she could make out vague, unfamiliar shapes. _Did I order my room to be renovated or what?_ She felt the objects around her; the duvet - definitely wasn't hers, the pillows were scented with mellow lavender - not her choice of flower - and, most noticeably, there were no windows behind the head of her bed. Or, rather, _the_ bed. It was, without a doubt, not her room.

She pulled away from the fluffy duvets and she stood up despite feeling groggy.

_Where am I?_

Panic rising inside her, she dragged her feet through the velvet carpeted ground towards the half-open door. Light spilled from outside the room and as she cautiously made her way, she staggered. She would have fallen if it were not for her hand reflexively grasping a nearby furniture for support. 

_What happened to me?_

Her limbs were frail and her joints were wobbling terribly. She felt as if she would drop dead any moment. It took a moment to collect herself, but when she did, resolve was a steely glaze in her eyes. She would get to the bottom of this. She pushed open the door and an epiphany hit her.

She was in the Wizard King's castle. _W-WHAT AM I DOING HEREEE?!?!_ Her gaze travelled to her right, then to her left, and back to her right. It was a freaking maze!! It's true that it was not her first time being here - as a captain she had to attend to meetings in the castle at least thrice a month - but, she had never set foot to whatever part of the castle this was!

Childishly muttering, "Eenie, meeny, miny, moe," she turned left. She couldn't help brisk-walking, repeating a _keep-calm_ mantra in her head. _Find the Wizard King's office, tell him I woke up at his castle on accident, and everything will be alright. Right?!? Or maybe I should just pretend all this never happened....no no no, that won't help anything._

Charlotte had no idea what reasons - or lies, if it comes to it - she'll try convince Julius with that she had absolutely no hidden evil intentions by being here. Maybe she'll tell him she had gotten lost after the meeting this morning? _As if he'll believe that, Charlotte!_

Stopping by an open balcony, she saw the orange-streaked blue skies. It was dawn. _Oh God, just how long was I in here? My squad...they must be worried si-_

Fragments of unpleasant memories as well as overwhelming emotions came rushing back at her all at once.

_Kaido._

_Attack at the base._

_Powder._

_My family._ Her eyes widened in intense fear and all thoughts regarding the Wizard King had been thrown away from her mind. The pounding of her head was alike to the ones of her heart - painful and powerful. 

_My squad is all I have, I won't lose them. I can't._

♧

Charlotte was broken.

People often thought otherwise. She couldn't put them in the wrong, though. With her hair like rays of sunshine, and eyes of the lightest skies, she was the perfect image of 'joy', of 'calm'. 

No one knew about the real her. The _her_ who'd relentlessly compare herself to others, always downgrading her achievements in face of others'. The _her_ who hated herself for not being able to break the curse herself, for being _weak._ For being, _little._

She had a tremendous pressure always at her shoulders. Expectations of her parents. Duties as a captain. And, the heaviest of all was marriage - one of the greatest expectations of her parents.

Being the only heir of House Roselei, and a _woman_ at that, she had to get married. There was certainly no chance of escaping her fate. She had to marry, wether out of love or not, or else the title of Roselei would cease to exist. Or else she would let everyone down, disappoint them, bring shame to her House. 

It shouldn't be a problem, the whole marriage thing. Just marry a random noble, right? No. 

No.

She wouldn't let herself live with the regret of not telling _him_ first how she felt. Yami Sukehiro. Even his name was intriguing. 

Charlotte had tried, really tried to make her feelings known. But she just seems to always run away. _Cowardice._ Frankly, if she ever did confess to him, she thought she might as well pour out her feelings to a pebble - even then, the pebble might still be less dense than him. 

And so, with everything taken into account, she had absolutely every reason to be broken. She had every right to. But when she was with her squad, she felt herself mending. Bit by bit, and now, she was no longer torn. She was whole again. Stitched meticulously with the threads of _their_ smiles, _their_ laughter, and love and support.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking your time to read this!! ❤️❤️❤️ Also, I CANT BELIEVE IT, 1K VIEWSSS?!!!? Huwiwhwwbqkkq😭😭😭🥺🥺🥺🥺💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤Thank you all so much! This is a milestone for me✨✨✨


	11. Charlotte Takes The Quickest Exit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TADAAAA!! ✨✨✨Chap 11 all done! 🥳 Gosh I feel satisfied😂 Hope you guys have a great time reading it! 💙🖤💙

"Julius, sir," said Marx, voice a bit muffled as a tall pile of paperwork blocked his face.

"Yes?" came Julius' sleepy reply. The sun hadn't even risen yet when his human alarm came barging in his room, yelling that he was supposed to be up five minutes ago. _I had only closed my eyes for 3 seconds!!_ And now, here he was, another day of duty beginning. _Sigh._

They were both walking down the twisty hallway with Julius slightly ahead of his advisor - he wished he would lose him at the quick turns he made, but unluckily for him, Marx was determined to finish all the signing and _blah blah blah_ by afternoon. _Being the Wizard King sure is tiresome at times._

"When were you going to tell the captains about the devils in the Spade Kingdom?"

_That_ stopped Julius dead on his tracks. He turned around suddenly full of energy and gave a look of pretend confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Sir, you know exactly what I mean. You abruptly ended the captains meeting yesterday and don't think I didn't notice that alarmed look on your face when I was nearing the topic."

His face had drained of all colour. _Oh no_ , he thought, _Marx is using 'the' voice again._ 'The' voice never failed to make him feel stupid. He felt as if he was a child once more - well more of a child in his case. Julius internally screamed, he expected this. No one knew him better than Marx, he was an open book when it comes to him. 

Sighing in utter and fated defeat, he said, "Let's discuss in my office, shall we?"

A huff of agreement came and they continued their way in silence. Though not being able to see what's in front of him, Marx knew the whole castle like the back of his hand - thanks to him always running here and there in search of the ever missing Wizard King. He was currently forming a detailed to-do list in his head when a gasp rang out.

"What? What??!!" he said, voice rising.

No reply.

He was starting to think Julius had abandoned him when he heard him say,

"Ch-ch-ch-char-charlotte?!?!"

"Huh?" The pile of papers slipped out of Marx's grip and they flew all over the place like gigantic snowflakes. His wide open eyes found Charlotte's and for a second he thought he was hallucinating. _SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE BEDRIDDEN FOR AT LEAST 2 MONTHS!!!_

"Where is my squad?" she asked, trembling from head to toe. Anxiety and rage radiated from her in great waves. She needed her squad. Prayers were chanted all over again in her heart - _p_ _lease be safe._

Both Julius and Marx stood shocked, mouths gaping. What were they supposed to tell her? Where should they start? 

Charlotte looked at them for a few moments longer before making a bee line towards the edge of the balcony. 

"Charlotte! Where're you going!?" Julius shouted after her. 

The Wizard King as well as Marx rushed after her.

"To find them," she answered curtly.

She looked out to the sun lit view below her. Without another moment of hesitance, she took a deep breath and jumped.

Hearts gave big, sudden lurches as Julius and Marx scrambled to the balusters. They stared helplessly at Charlotte's shrinking figure. Marx clutched his head as if a migraine was coming.

"SHE'S GOING TO DIE!!! SHE'S GONE CRAZY!!! SHE HAS JUST COMMITTED SUICIDE!! JULIU-"

Before Marx could continue his hysterical rambling, Julius had already disappeared. He appeared right behind Charlotte who seemed like a lifeless doll someone had just dropped.

"Charlotte!" he called out.

The high-pitched whistling of the wind hurt his ear, yet he kept his arms by his sides tighter and dived at an even greater speed. 

_Almost there._

He was about to cast a time sphere around her when briars materialized out of nowhere and formed a cloud of roses and thorns under her. Charlotte landed weightlessly on her conjured transport, perfectly in balance. 

Realizing what the captain was trying to do, Julius immediately halted in mid-air (possible due to Mana zone.) The contents of his stomach rose till his throat and threatened to see daylight once more.

On the other hand, Marx had collapsed in relief. He was certain the Blue Rose knights' captain wanted to end her life. He thought that she thought her members were dead. So when she said she was going to find them, he had gone to the immediate conclusion that she wanted to go _up_ there, in _heaven._ A rich red colour of embarrassment creeped up from the points of his ears, to his cheeks and to the tip of his nose. _Stupid me._

Julius gazed at her, stunned, as she rode her magic cloud and surfed the wind flawlessly. His eyes sparkled like a gazillion stars combined as he thought, _SO COOLLL!!_

Charlotte cut through the air like a knife through butter. The cold masked she wore so well didn't seem like a mask anymore, it felt like it _was_ _her_ already.

_The headquarters, they've got to be there..._

_Kaido will pay, I vow this on my curse._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 🙂🙂🙂I bet you all know how Julius looked liked at the last part. His most iconic face... ✨👄✨ Loll I can't find any male lips so that's the best recreation I can do with emojis😂


	12. Black Bull's Base

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloooo!! 😆Apologies for not updating for so long, I'm on a holiday so I was pretty much just relaxing😂. I tried to make this chapter longer than my previous ones, hope it actually is😬. Enjoy! 💙🖤

Charlotte left a trail of confused looks behind her. At her current speed, she was merely a flying blur of blue and green. She was filled with determination, and expectation.

She expected that when she came home, Sol would come rushing in her arms. And Puli, Galgaria, Wainsley and the rest would crush her in their bear-like hugs. _Yes, oh yes, please._ Tears were forming and she gritted her teeth to suppress the incoming sob. _Don't you dare cry, Charlotte._

She pressed on against the force of the wind, steering clear of magic knights in flight. She was almost there. _Just one more turn..._

Everything froze. Her tears, the beating of her heart, even the throbbing pain in her body. She gazed at her headquarters, or rather, what remained of it. _It's all gone..._

The briars and thorns underneath her dissolved and she landed shakily with a thump. She trudged around the rubble, legs feeling robotic. She shook her head at everything she saw. There was nothing left for her here. This couldn't have happened. Her once burning fury died was replaced by immense grief. Do you ever get that feeling? When all of your intense desire to hurt someone like they hurt you has been vanquish by all the sorrow they caused you. When all the wounds, all the mental blows just wins. This was how she felt - _defeated._

And for the first time in her life, she allowed herself to let loose her chained emotions. Her knees gave away and burning tears raked her cheeks, she hugged herself as she rocked back and forth. She won't believe it, no. They were alive, somewhere.

♧

The atmosphere had greatly improved, as per Yami's observation. The death threats and attacks were reduced to occasional glaring and a few of his squad members were even starting to bond with the Blue Rose knights. Furthermore, the development was made in less than twenty-four hours, meaning that if he waited a little while longer, the two squads will eventually become best buddies - _squaddies?_ Not that he cared, really, just that it would be a shame to wake up one morning and find one of his subordinate hanged.

Yami was lazing around in his usual spot in the living room couch. He had a newspaper in front of him which frankly, he had no interest in reading. His mind was running to all sorts of random places, most were not at all stress-free. He let out a tremendous sigh and gave up the act. The captain gazed around the room in search of anything intriguing:

Asta, as predictable as ever, was currently carrying out an extreme body training - _damn, that kid needs to loosen up a little._ Noelle, all blush and girly, was fussing over the said Hage village boy, complaining that he needed to give himself a rest - although, attacking him with a mighty water spell was a great contrast to her earlier intention. Another predictable member of his was Finral, who was at the moment offering flowers to one of the Blue Rose's - ended in failure, of course.

Grey, the epitome of shyness, was sitting in a sofa just beside him, flanked by Gauche and his bleeding nose and a hungover Vanessa. Speaking about Vanessa, the other squad absolutely loathes her - they made this crystal clear since they first arrived. However, the pink haired witch seemed to take no notice of the matter, that or she didn't care at all.

Magna slightly peaked Yami's interest. He looked somewhat uncomfortable around the increased number of women in the base. He sat on a wobbly bar stool with the straightest spine Yami had ever seen and was holding his chin so high up he almost thought he was going to break his neck. Sol was arguing with the fire magic user about... _glasses_ _and hairstyles?_ Well, whatever it was, Luck was obviously aware how heated their conversation was and decided to add more fuel to it - _classic Luck._

So far, it seemed that Henry was the only one that had managed to become friends with the other squad. Yami was not surprised, compared to the rest of his squad, the boy was the most _normal._

A strong aroma of freshly baked meat wafted through the air and cut short his observation. _Charmy_. His stomach gave a deep growl and before he knew it, he was stomping towards the dining hall. There he found his tiny squad member atop a floating cotton cloud overlooking her sheep cooks. The long, bare wooden tables were quickly being filled with abundant appetizing food. 

"Hello, Captain!" greeted Charmy in her usual cheery voice,"Would you like to try my new menu?"

She glided smoothly towards him presenting a plate one of her sheep cooks passed her. It contained a miniature amusement park with a lengthy, curly bacon for a roller coaster and a big ring of crusty garlic bread similar to a ferris wheel. As a base for the whole _construction_ was a succulent looking steak. Surrounding the rim of the plate was a shiny golden sauce that slowly edged its way to the steak, almost like a subtle recreation of a waterfall.

"Laaa? Don't be shy!" Charmy goaded, pushing the plate into Yami's hands. She smiled expectantly and was vibrating with excitement.

Without any further ado, he took a seat and began to submerge himself in the heavenly warmth and flavours of his meal. His hunger only seemed to double with every bite he took. The two squads entered a moment later, no doubt also baited by the the delicious scent emitting from the entire hall. They sat in big divisions - needless to say by squad - in different tables. As forks and spoons clanged, shouts of praises and compliments rang out from the Black Bulls as they stuffed themselves full. _Charmy has really outdone herself this time,_ Yami thought as he helped himself to a forkful of steak. 

The food appeared to put everyone in better spirits. The Blue Rose knights, who were in a sombre mood due to the absence of their beloved captain, managed to make light conversation and jokes between themselves. From Yami's point of view from the head of the Black Bull's table, there was a stark contrast between the two squads. While his members were all clown faces and wide smiles, Prickly Queen's were a bunch of furrowed brows and storm clouds. _Guess they take after her...though when she does it, it's amusing._

Yami drowned the strange fluttering in his chest - it felt like his heart had grown a pair of wings - with more garlic bread and bacon. Just as he was about to finish his meal, Marx's face popped out of thin air in front of him. Startled, he choked on his bacon. He heaved to clear the blasted pieces of meat stuck in his windpipe and almost thought he was going to be murdered by a bacon until Asta - _thank goodness for the brat -_ shoved a jug of water in his hand. He gulped down almost a litre of water until he could finally talk. _Tch, mushroom heads._

Silence now filled the hall as everyone diverted their full attention to the furious, teary eyed captain and the anxiously fidgeting Marx.

"What the hell do you want? You nearly killed me," Yami boomed through the communication spell.

"Is Captain Charlotte there?" Marx asked, eyes wandering around as if he expected Charlotte to suddenly pop in and say hello. 

Rustles and murmurs could be heard from the Blue Rose table. They were clearly tensed at the mention of their incapacitated captain.

"What." He glared at Marx, _are you trying to make her squad bawl again?_

As if reading his mind - which was entirely possible due to his magic - he replied, "I assure you I have no such intentions. Captain Charlotte has awaken earlier today and has managed to... _leave_ the castle. She intended to look for her squad." _I can't tell them that she **jumped** out of the castle, I'll worry them even more!_

Yami pursed his lips. _Why do I get the feeling Marx meant something else when he said 'leave'?_

"CAPTAIN?!?" yelled several blue rose members in shock and they all dashed towards Yami, surrounding him and completely blocking his view of Mushroom Head - _suree, because the communication spell was totally for y'all_. They bombarded Marx with questions regarding the whereabouts of their previously bedridden captain, and Yami can't deny he was curious to find out as well.

"Err, apologies but I don't know where she is. The Wizard King gave specific orders not to go looking for her, he thinks she needs the space. Though, Julius suggested she may be in her headquarters."

Not waiting any longer, the Blue Rose squad rushed out of the hall with bright smiles plastered across their faces. Sol was happily chanting,"Sis! Sis! Sis!" as she lead the group of women to who-knows-where. Yami didn't try stop them, they were free to come and go whenever they wanted. 

_Good luck, brats. Bring the Spiny Prickly Queen back safely._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! 💙💙🖤🖤Suggestions for improvements and corrections are highly welcome! (≧▽≦)


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